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About

Philip Rees is a key figure in the development of next-generation astronomical instrumentation, with his work centered on the design and construction of the Multi-Object Optical and Near-infrared Spectrograph (MOONS) for ESO’s Very Large Telescope. His primary contributions lie in the mechanical and metrological systems that enable MOONS to simultaneously observe 1,000 celestial targets. Rees led the development of the fibre positioning module (FPM), a system of robotic two-degree-of-freedom arms that precisely place optical fibres across the VLT’s focal plane, and designed the metrology system that ensures sub-micron accuracy in their positioning. He also contributed to the instrument’s field corrector and rotating front end, critical optical subsystems. With over 20 citations across his most-cited papers, Rees’s work is foundational to MOONS, which will combine the VLT’s light-gathering power with unprecedented multiplexing to survey galaxies, stars, and exoplanets. His achievements include overseeing the instrument’s assembly and integration phases, bringing this powerful spectrograph to life for the astronomical community.